Winnipeg barefoot Runners

We are a running group with a focus on running bare feet or using minimalist footwear. Shod and shodless runners are welcome to join us for our Sunday early morning runs. Location to be announced weekly.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

The third week of October I had the opportunity to take part in an
adventure like no other, one that I remember for the rest of my life. The 100EC Urban Ultra Marathon is not
your typical 100 mile race, there are no dirt trails, no single track and
definitely no wildlife beyond the elusive bikini clad beach bunny and the shy
but ever smiling and happy local nightlife. This is a race of hard surfaces,
from concrete sidewalks and the Los Angles floodway system, to the asphalt
roads and bike paths, to the paver stone beach boardwalks and wooden trestle
bridges along the route.The hard
surfaces test your body and soul like no other, the constant jarring of your
joints as you make your way along the route is a testament of your resolve for
pain, there is no relief it just carries on and on until the finish line at the
foot of the famous Santa Monica pier and ferris wheel. Such is the life of the
urban ultra, you push forward with your only thought being that big wheel that
goes round and round spinning in your head as the ultimate sign that you have
done it.

Now sure I have done some crazy races that most people look at me and
shake their head in disbelief that I run them barefoot (or at least start
barefoot prior to methodically upgrading my footwear), but this one is an
experience like no other. The run is put on to support an amazing organization
in the United States called the 100 Mile Club. The 100 Mile Club is a national,
school-based program with the goal to run or walk 100 miles during a school
year. The program also teaches kids life skills, goal setting, and self-esteem
while making physical activity a healthier habit for life (sound familiar – it
should it is similar to another great cause that is dear to my heart,
Start2Finish through Ted’s Run For Literacy). The founder of the 100 mile club,
Kara Lubin, is an amazing lady who tirelessly helps out from well before the
start of the race to well after along with the race directors Darren and Sandy
Van Soye and the balance of the volunteers who help to put on a first class
event. I have nothing but praise for this event and the organizers, it is an
event that must be experienced in my books.

The race itself starts at the 100 Mile Club headquarters in Norco,
California which is one of the many cities that surround Los Angeles County and
a good 40 miles inland from the ocean that you are determined to reach. The run
goes through 20 cities proper including Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana,
Orange County, Long Beach and Santa Monica to name a few. The sights are
amazing in places and just eye opening in others. You run through the richest
areas in Los Angeles like Palos Verdes which runs along the bluffs and among
the largest and most amazing houses you will ever see (makes Beverley Hills
look like the Weston Area), and also through some of the poorest areas
including San Pedro. You get to see areas of Los Angeles that you will never
experience with a tour guide. Running down the Los Angeles floodway or the
Santa Ana River was an experience that I will never forget, it makes our
floodway look minuscule in comparison. Seeing all the homeless (young and old)
really brought perspective to the amount of people that need help in this
world, it was an eye-opener for sure.

Once you hit the coast at Huntington Beach the journey along the beach
begins, I was lucky enough to watch the sun set as I was running along the
boardwalk from one city to the next.The
route consists of one continuous beach all the way to Long Beach with some
slight deviations when required.It was
breathtaking watching the sun slowly disappear beneath the waves. The sights
and sounds as you run the boardwalk was one of the most memorable experiences,
to see the surfers plying their tricks on the waves, the volleyball players
rocking the sand, the skate boarders, the roller bladers showing their skills
up and down the boardwalk was a sight to see, never a dull moment that’s for
sure. After Long Beach you run in land a bit through some of the more let me
say interesting parts of town. Including an area considered to be a bit sketchy
due to the high homeless population, an area considered to be populated by
numerous gangs, a club district (thankfully we passed through here before the
bars let out) and the oil refinery district. It was definitely areas that are
not listed on your most popular tourist destinations. After this you are up
into the hills to view the mansions along the bluffs then finally back down to
the beach for the final leg of the journey. Once again watching the sun come up
as you run along the beach is an unbelievable experience for sure. As I noted
above the run finishes up at the Santa Monica pier after running through Muscle
Beach, Venice Beach, Manhattan Beach, etc. It was amazing to say the least, and
an experience that I will never forget.

After 28 hours plus and 103 miles and change I was still standing and able to balance my new shiny buckle.

I finished this epic adventure in 28 hours and 17 minutes which was good
for 18th place overall. This would be an event that I would love to
support every year if it was at all possible, but at least I know I had the
privilege to run it once and that can never be taken away from me.

﻿

A good shot of what I was determined to get my 100 mile buckle and of course my running companion from start to finish. Unicorn power.

Yes the barefoot guy is also a supporter of Hoka One One. I love my shoes.

My pacers extraordinaire, my lovely wife Nicole and my good friends Scott and Bridget Herrin. Unfortunately another awesome cog in the pacer team Kelly Leigh was not available. Oh yes that is my son's thumb that you see in the picture.

Sunday, May 26, 2013

So far this year, I have been so busy with writing articles for Canadian Running, training for my crazy running schedule and work, that this blog was the unfortunate sufferer. I am going to make a honest effort to change that and will be attempting to post something once a week, I will not guarantee what it will be or what the context will be about, but there will be something there none the less.

This weeks instalment will be the links to my Canadian Running Magazine articles, I know that is not the most original idea, but I am pretty proud of my articles and just in case you might of missed one here they are:

Monday, March 25, 2013

It has been a crazy year so far with everything that has been going on in my running life and we are only just finishing March. The rest of the year only looks more intense and I am loving every minute of it.

In case you haven't heard through my Facebook page (and how could you not if you are my Facebook friend), I am currently involved in a little friendly challenge for charity with a event and a local Running Store in Canmore, Alberta. Yes, you heard me right, The Ultimate Fit Centre and Smith Events which puts on the Grizzly Ultra Series has challenged little ol' me to run The Grizzly Ultra 50km barefoot in October. The challenge is called, yes I thought this one up all by myself, the Grizzly Ultra Barefoot Challenge with major kudos to Alain Foidart for the awesome logo.

Here is the course:

As you can see there will be a little bit of trekking involved with this one. I even understand there is some type of coal chute or something, lucky I like to get my feet dirty. I will be joined in my barefootness by another barefoot runner from Calgary named Paul. He has been biting at the bit to get a chance at running this, so what better time then the present, right.

So this is the challenge, I have to tackle and complete this 50km mountain ultra barefoot from start to finish, hmmm think I can do it. I am so sure that I will finish I will even leave my shoes (or Luna's depending on my mood of the day) hanging from the start line under strict supervision of the Master of Promotions for The Ultimate Fit Centre and chief instigator, Cindy Chiperzak. My partner in crime in organizing this awesome event, who by the way if I finish will have to join me in a barefoot run post race, what fun that will be. With a little bit of convincing and audience participation I might just get Tony Smith (Grizzly Race Director) to go a little bit san shoe too, sshhh I haven't told him this yet.

Anyway I digress, as I noted I need to finish the event barefoot and by doing so the following things will happen:

Smith Events will reimburse my entry fee which I will turn around and split between the two charities involved.

Smith Events will pitch in another donation equal to the entry fee to basically double the donation.

The Ultimate Fit Centre will donate the cost of another entry fee to help out the cause.

Plus I am throwing in another $140.00 of my own money at a minimum to help out the cause

That is $560.00 towards the cause before we even accept a donation from the public.

Now if I don't finish (which we know will not happen):

I have to double my donation to $280.00 and I will have to beg and plead with Tony and Cindy to keep their respective organizations donating to the cause. Did I mention I do not grovel very well, so this will be very hard and probably very entertaining to watch, and I am sure that Cindy will probably video tape it or something for prosparity

The two charities involved are both near and dear to all of us and of course it revolves around kids and physical activity.

My local charity is Ted's Run For Literacy which supports the local Winnipeg chapter of Start2Finish. Ted's Run For Literacy is a local memorial run for Ted Swain who was active in Winnipeg’s running community. Those that knew him will remember a gentle and patient man. Ted was also an English teacher at Vincent Massey Collegiate. Ted died from heart failure in May 2009 after completing the Police half-marathon. Ted’s Run is our attempt to honor a most remarkable man and his two passions, running and reading. To ensure that Ted's legacy continued, another very passionate educator, runner and blogger Mike Bennett from See Mike Run puts on this yearly event to help raise funds for Start2Finish. The charity itself helps fund afterschool programs in local Manitoba schools that center around helping under privlaged kids learn to read as well as give them a safe place to run while supplying them with a good pair of running shoes and other necessities. This also gives them a safe place to be after school as well. The entire program is supported by teachers and educators that volunteer their time to this worthy cause. This is Start2Finish's Mission Statement:

Start2Finish’s mission is to break the cycle of child poverty by providing ongoing educational support to Canada’s at risk children throughout their school years, nurturing mind, body and social health so they are empowered to succeed and become role models for change.

The second charity is local to Canmore, where the race is taking place. Kidsport Bow Valley Chapter is a another great charitable organization centred around helping kids participate in organized sports. This is the choosen charity for The Ultimate Fit Centre and also worthy of everybody's support. This is Kidsport's Mission Statement:

We believe that no kid should be left on the sidelines and all should be given the opportunity to experience the positive benefits of organized sports. KidSport provides support to children in order to remove financial barriers that prevent them from playing organized sport.

﻿All funds raised through this event will go to both charities and will only be utilized to fund the programs as this was my mandate going in and will continue to be throughout the months and weeks leading up to the event. With this we have been very lucky to receive some fantastic support from the running community in general, as I have been able to secure some awesome giveaways and prizes for contests that we will be holding in conjuction with The Grizzly Ultra Barefoot Challenge Facebook Page on a weekly basis. A big thankyou to Canadian Running Magazine, Ted's Run For Literacy and a few more surprise benefactors that I am currently in discussions with.

To donate to either one of (or both) of these great charities just follow the directions below. Also don't forget to go to the Facebook Page and 'Like' it and Share it with all your friends.

Thanks again from all of us for all your support.

The Two Charities Involved:

Run For Literacy Donations through Start 2 Finish
Go to the following link and follow these very important instructions. http://start2finishonline.org/

Scroll down and 'Hit' the 'DONATE' button, this will take... you to this very important pa...ge.Pick the 'Other' DesignationFill in the Donation amount (No donation is too small or too large)Under Specified Gift, enter ' Ted's Run For Literacy - Grizzly Barefoot Challenge'Fill in the appropriate info for your contact info and payment type.Under Comments - Note 'Ted's Run For Literacy - Grizzly Barefoot Challenge' and add any well wishes for the charities or for Bob's attempt to conquor the course.

I am going to try to keep track of donations made monthly to the charities, so please give generously.

So go check it out and join the fun, spread the word and most important of all help two great causesever you can spare. Tax recipts will be provided for donations that are eligable through the websites.

If you happen to be in the Canmore area October 13, please come out and cheer me on. I would definitely appreciate the moral support.

Saturday, February 9, 2013

I have been meaning to get this up for the last couple of weeks and I am not offering any excuses. Well other than I was out of the country, on vacation, running in the mountains, spending quality time with the family, but other than that, no excuses.........

I am so looking forward to this event, just think a summer mud obstacle run with, yes, you guessed it snow. What could be a better way to spend a late morning in February but running an obstacle course in Winnipeg with 300 plus of your close friends, plus it is for a great cause in the United Way. Two things that Winnipeggers do very well, host a event for charity and turn it into a party. John Ford and the Swamp Donkey team have outdone themselves once again with this little ditty, there is going to be some uniqueness to the course I am sure, like nothing Winnipeg has ever seen.

Now this is not the first year for the Ice Donkey event, it does have a pretty storied history, but this is the first year that it is being held in this format. All previous years it has been a celebration of different winter sports and activities to get people out, get them active and to enjoy the winter. For example, last year it was a race incorporating teams that had to complete different disciplines including, biking, running, snow shoeing and skating (not in that order) over a course laid out on a map throughout storied Saint Boniface (the french quarter in Winnipeg). Nicole and Gail ran (among other things) this last year and they had a blast. See the attached post that will take you to another post on Gail's other blog, Ice Donkey (phew that was a mouth full).

Another Ice Donkey vet, who I expect to be out on the course giving it his all is my Actif Epica partner in crime, Cory. I expect him out there with his bushy beard, chug, chugging along.

Cory mucking it up for the camera after Ice Donkey last year

I cannot wait to see the obstacles and the participant costumes, and I will be sure to bring my camera to capture some of the more interesting moments (which I expect will be quite a few). I know I will goofing it up with my attire a bit, but I do not want to spoil the surprise, you will have to wait until I complete the post race report. Until then, you can guess I will not look like these two (I think they have to much clothing what about you........

I also don't think I am going to do any obstacle diving like my buddy, Blake who decided to forgo the snow angel and went for a snow plane instead............

﻿

Blake Anderson going for a belly flop into the snowPhoto Credits: Shane Gibson

﻿
Needless to say, I am excited that this is tomorrow, because it allows me to take my mind off my bigger challenge (not to say this is not a huge challenge, wink, wink, nudge, nudge) next weekend, which I will discuss in a post very shortly.

So if your coming out tomorrow, good on ya, if your not, I expect to see you out there next year. Because you are missing something awesome tomorrow, what a great day it is going to be, I do expect to be flying high.

Well I can tell you what I did. I ran a great little word of mouth event called the Polar Bare Run at the Formal Gardens located in Winnipeg's Assiniboine Park. This was the 9th year for this get together of runners that takes place New Year's Day no matter what Mother Nature's throws at us.

The great thing about this event is that there is no fee, you just show up with a open mind and some form of minimal running gear to blast around the approximately 700 metres of frozen road track and have a bit of fun. The typical attire is bikinis for the ladies and the ever popular speedo for the guys, but you do some interesting variations of this as well, including underwear briefs, boxers, formal gowns and a tutu. Yes, you read that right, a tutu, more on that later, wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

I have run the Polar Bare Run for the last two years, and the weather and wind definitely makes this interesting. Both years have produced base temps below -20 degrees Celsius and dropped it even further with the windchill to the range of -30. It makes for a interesting time for sure. This year was no different with a nice little breeze out of the east, the last sprint when you come around the corner is quite invigorating to say the least.

But I digress, this year there was about 40 runners out to complete the task at hand. Everybody was prepped and ready to go huddled around the start line in a combination of housecoats, winter coats and whatever else they could find to cover themselves before the call to run. At 8:58, the two minute warning was called and jackets, housecoats were quickly removed and everybody lined up for the start call. I hung out in the back trying not to cause to much of a scene as I removed my mukluks and housecoat to reveal my running gear of the day. A Kate Kift original tutu is a combination of blues and white, I thought it blended perfectly with my blonde hair and blue eyes.

Can you spot me in the background, I will give you a hint, I am wearing something bluePhoto Credits: Kelly Morton Photography

As everybody sprinted off, I slowly picked my way from the back through to the front. I got the usual, 'holy crap bare feet that is crazy', to 'Awesome, what a great tutu'. I felt like I was flying as I passed most of the runner's (I personally think it was the shock factor, because normally I could not compete with the majority of these guys and gals) and headed to the front of the pack. My feet were handling the icy conditions well as I B-lined it down the road.

One of my favorite shots as the runners head down the road through all overhanging treesPhoto Credits: Kelly Morton Photography

﻿I was chasing down the first 4 or 5 runners as I hit the corner and hit the wind, holy crap it was a like a smack in the face, I knew it was coming but it still shocked me to no end. I picked up the pace to finish as quick as possible, as I started to realize that the very efficient parks crew had spread salt all over the road. Crap, this was not a good thing for my feet at all. Oh well, grin and bear it, because it was going to be over soon. As I raced to the finish line with my tutu fluttering in the wind, all I could do was smile, I know it was not a official race but it felt pretty good to be way ahead of some really good runners.

﻿

Coming into the finish line Photo Credits: Stephen Anderson-Lindsay Photography

﻿

Sporting a Kate Kift Original and a Grin From Ear To EarPhoto Credits: Stephen Anderson-Lindsay Photography

I crossed the imaginary finish line and continued around the last 300m back to my housecoat and mukluks, by that time the salt on my feet were starting to take a toll on my feet. It is amazing, I can run barefoot in snow and cold temps in the -30's with no issue, but though some salt into the mix and it just eats my feet. Luckily it was a short run so no real damage done, just a couple of blisters that developed on my little toes.

Here's to another great Polar Bare Run, I know I will be back to take it on again next year. If you want to try something different and fun, this might be for you. Come on out and join us.

Here are some more pictures from the event, courtesy of Kelly Morton Photography.

Saturday, January 5, 2013

I don't even know where to start with this one, it has been quite the year for this lil' ole barefoot runner from Winnipeg, Canada. I started off with some basic goals which included running 1,000 barefoot miles, finish a Half Marathon in under two hours and continue to push myself to further distances, I had wanted to run my first 50 miler (boy did I miss that target).

My biggest intention was to just go out and run, have some fun and hopefully help some other runners along the way. I quickly realized that I am not the fastest runner and will never compete for to many first place finishes. But that being said, my philosophy has become, start with a smile and finish with a smile, if I can do that they I have won.

Here is a quick recap of the year that was 2012:

January:

Polar Bare Run: A 650m dash around the Formal Gardens at Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg with a twist. The twist being this is the Polar Bare Run. My running attire for this one was a kilt, hat and gloves. Yes I barefooted it and I am Scottish so you can fill in the blanks. It was a great run until we turned the corner and hit the wind (-30ish with the WC). It was a little nipple-ly for sure. See link here, Polar Bare Run

I started my strength and core training with my personal trainer Carolyn. Basically she kicked my rear end into submission and made me all the more stronger for it. How I was going to need all of that later on in the year.

February:
This was where all the craziness started, and I can either blame my wife or thank her profusely, I am not sure which.

Registration for the Canadian Death Race: I almost fell out of my chair when Nicole asked me if I wanted to put together a relay team for the 2012 race. After I put my jaw back into place, I went into hyperdrive to find a couple of other crazy runners who would want to do this with us. Well I found one, my buddy Dan had wanted to run this as well for years but could not find anybody who was willing to run it. Well that was it, I registered us as a 3 person team and 'Up A Mountain With No Shoes' was born. You could not wipe the smile off of my face for a week. At least until I started trying to figure out how to train for this being flatlanders from Manitoba. See link here CDR Training and CDR 2012

The 120 Day Running Challenge: I started a challenge to run 120 straight days with logging at least a mile. This does not sound like much but it was really not easy to do, there are just some days when you just don't want to run. But that being said I started and I finished. 120 Day Challenge

March / April:

March and April were event free months, just CDR training and logging more daily miles. The real fun began in May.

May:

The Winnipeg Police Service Half Marathon: This was suppose to be my first sub 2:00 half mary, well it was and it wasn't. But I am ok with that see link WPS Half Mary

The Manitoba Trail 50km Ultra: This was the long overdue event from the previous year that unfortunately got cancelled due to all the flooding out at Spruce Woods. Dwayne Sandall put on a great event, and one that I will definitely be back to run again. See link here, Spruce Woods

Med City Marathon: This was a great event, Nicole and I travelled to Rochester, MN to run this one. We met some great people, had a lot of fun. We got to run with some awesome barefoot runners including Christian (Maple Grove Barefoot Guy), Katey and Andrew. This was my first above 90 degree F race, it was so hot, I had to be careful not to burn my barefeet. No PB for this one, it was all about the fun.

June:

CDR Training Camp: This was our first look at the CDR course. An absolute must for runners who seriously want to run The Death Race. Not only do you get to run or bike the entire course over the weekend, but you get to meet other runners who are also running and those that have run it before. Valuable experience to be tapped. Further to this the camp is ran by Dale Tuck the creator of the Death Race with the help of Tracey Garneau, expert advice for sure. Some great friendships were developed at this weekend. See the following links, CDR Day One ; CDR Day One Part Two and CDR Day 2 .

July:

Where's The Beach? Stead MB: A unique event with a 33km running trail race running the same course and time as a 33, 66 and 100km mountain bike event. Of course I ran the event, because my biking skills suck. It was a blast, and I am definitely looking at doing it again. See the following link, Stead, MB.

August:

The Canadian Death Race: All I can say is this was bloody awesome, Team Up A Mountain With No Shoes' finished the race, and we all did fantastic. Check it out at the following link: CDR, 2012.

Dirty Donkey 5km Obstacle Race: This was a blast, my local Hash House Harriers run group put together a team for this and we ran it hard and had a fun time completing it. Basically a local version of the Tough Mudder series put on by our Adventure Racer extraordinaire John Ford of the Swamp Donkey racing events. I had a blast doing this barefoot and without my glasses (if you know me I am virtually blind without my glasses), so my teammates had to call out all obstacles and other areas of concern to me so I could make it safely through. Somehow I did make it through just in time for the beer.

September:

Lost Soul 100 mile Ultra Marathon: This was my first attempt at a 100 miler in Lethbridge, nothing like picking a hard one first time out right. I ran this race with a good friend Scott Burton who 'convinced' me that I should give it a try by twisting my rubber arm. Anyway, I ended up DNF'ing it but I did complete 100km of the event so I was very happy with that. I am going back this fall if I get in to complete it. Let me say I am determined and my knee is not going to tell me no this time.

Swamp Donkey Adventure Race: The original event put on by John Ford out in the Whiteshell Provincial Park located in eastern Manitoba. This event includes a 10km plus canoe, 30ish km bike through trails and a good quantity of running (about 10km) all mixed together with orienteering. Our team consisted of 3 rookies (myself, Gail E and Peter S), who despite the weather and really not knowing what the heck we were doing finished in the Top 15 for the team event. We had a great time, and yes you will see us back out there again trying to improve on our time. Anybody who likes something a little different, this is a event worth checking out.

October:

Paramedic Fire Fighters Half Marathon: A race that in its first year of existence exceeded all expectations. First of all it sold out not once but twice, as there was such a response the race director, John T had to open up more spots and those quickly sold out as well. Due to this they had to redo the half marathon route to accommodate all the runners. This was a good event from start to finish (just need to make sure they have coffee next year), and I had a great time running with friends and whooping it up with the other runners and volunteers. I also was able to break the 2 hour time I was looking for, well not really just breaking it but shattering it with a 1:53:24 and that includes a good distance of gravel trail.

Following up the WPFS Half Marathon, I ran the Ted's Run For Literacy 10km the following day, where even with tired legs and slightly sore feet I was able to secure another PB with a 52:44. The race directors Mike, Aldo and the rest of the crew put on a great event and lots of money was raised for a great cause. I also got to run with my fellow BRS member Dutchie (Jack) as well, good times.

The Awesome Twosome: A 5 km with a twist, really it a 10 km race with two runners running a 5 km loop in opposite directions. My partner Gail E and I finished 12th in just under 50 minutes combined with me running another PB in the 5 km with a 23:40.

VP of Administration with the Barefoot Runners Society: Still not quite clear why I was chosen for this, but I was honored by them choosing me for this. I just hope that I can live up to their expectations.

1,000 Barefoot Miles Ran: I surpassed the goal of 1,000 barefoot miles ran and finished the year off with 1,115 miles barefoot and 1,836 miles total.

November:

Selected as The North Face / Canadian Trail Running Ambassador for Manitoba/Sask: This was a great honour to receive as well, I am so looking forward to the upcoming year. See link here

2012/2013 Winter Barefoot Running Challenge: Participating in this slightly crazy event that I have been involved with for the last three years. I have surpassed 200 km and have completed a 1.5 km run at -31 degrees Celsius. See link BRS Winter Challenge

December:

Canadian Running Magazine Online: I commenced writing a weekly blog for CRM on barefoot running and they are even paying me for it. This is the latest, Moon Joggers.

Basically it has been an exciting year and a lot of firsts, I have been involved in quite a few articles through out the year, either assisting with the article or the focus of the article. It has been a little over whelming at times but fun at the same time. I have also had the opportunity to write a guest post on a great blog called Daily Improvisations, that I am very proud of as well. As I said it has been a fun year.

I am really looking forward to all the adventures that will be taking place over the next year that is 2013, as I continue to grow and push the boundaries that little bit more.